Stingray still meets kids despite nasty injury

This large stingray, locally given the pet name 'Sebastian' or 'Chano' (the latter being a diminutive of the former) has been a regular visitor to the steps in the fishing port of Vueltas in Valle Gran Rey, La Gomera for several years now. He turns up to be fed and fondled by the kids who sometimes turn up in great numbers and feed him fish supplied by the local fishermen returning to harbour. It is an amazing spectacle to watch huge 'Chano', who's said to weigh about 300 pounds, and sometimes brings smaller but much more shy relations with him. At times he almost 'climbs' up a couple of steps out of the water to be fed and fondled. 

Some time ago he sustained severe injuries in the harbour, and a deep gash remains in his front, clearly seen in this very recent video, even though the wounds have healed very well (Click to see videos taken before the injuries). 
Despite all that he seems to come even more often, and despite the fact that agents for the department for the environment came and prohibited the feeding of stingrays, the kids still gather and slip him a few tasty fresh mackerel. 
He now even comes some evenings and when he's not hungry just to be petted by the kids who call him by striking the water surface with their hands, as happened in this video.

New video of large stingray being fed and fondled

Here's a recently produced video of the amazingly tame stingray that regularly comes to the steps into the water in the harbour of Vueltas in La Gomera's Valle Gran Rey. The large ray always gets fed and petted by the children of the harbour town and local fishermen supply the fish for the stingray's breakfast.
Filmed by: © Henner Riemenschneider (Gekko Vision)

Large stingrays being fed and fondled - another amazing video.

Just because I liked the previous stingray video so much I'll share another one with you today, taken at the same place. It is a bit longer and shows Pepe, a local bus driver and friend of mine, feeding stingrays several pounds of fish on the steps in the harbour where the small fishing boats of Valle Gran Rey often land and clean their catch. Sometimes several dozens of rays can be seen in the harbour, where they congregate to mate.

This one, too, was taken by: © Henner Riemenschneider (Gekko Vision)

Amazing video of tame large stingray being fed and fondled in Valle Gran Rey's harbour on La Gomera

Filmed by: © Henner Riemenschneider (Gekko Vision)